The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Coreopsis plant, botanically known as Coreopsis rosea ‘Heaven's Gate’ and will be referred to hereinafter by its cultivar name ‘Heaven's Gate’. The new cultivar of Coreopsis is an herbaceous perennial growth for landscape and container use.
The inventor discovered the new cultivar, ‘Heaven's Gate’, in a block of nursery containers of Coreopsis rosea ‘Sweet Dreams’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,720) in Kensington, Conn. in the summer of 2002. The inventor presumes that the new cultivar was derived as a naturally occurring branch mutation of ‘Sweet Dreams’, as the plants were grown from plugs of ‘Sweet Dreams’ that were presumably produced from stem cuttings.
‘Heaven's Gate’ was selected based on the coloration of its ray florets. The ray florets of ‘Heaven's Gate’ exhibit an increased in the amount of purple coloration resulting in deeper colored flowers and a less pronounced bi-color effect in comparison to ‘Sweet Dreams’. Other characteristics of ‘Heaven's Gate’ are similar to ‘Sweet Dreams’ therefore distinguishing it as well from the parent of ‘Sweet Dreams’, ‘American Dreams’ (unpatented). These characteristics make this new cultivar unique and unlike any other known cultivars of Coreopsis rosea known to the inventor.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by terminal stem cuttings in a controlled environment in Kensington, Conn. in summer of 2002 by the inventor. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.